My favorite diner food Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches made at home easily in the slow cooker. {Gravy made at the same time!}
This is the type of meal you would see on the menu at a local diner. In fact, I would order these Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches at Marie Callender’s when I worked there years ago.
Marie Callender’s would often run these as a lunch special. This meal is heaven on a plate; bread is placed down, then beef and gravy piled on, and always served with mashed potatoes.
I believe that sourdough bread is preferred for this meal, but I LOVE Grandma Sycamore’s Homemade bread. I buy it at Fred Meyer, and the bread tastes homemade. You can find it near the Wonder bread.
How to make Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches:
This hot roast beef sandwich recipe is an easy dump and go recipe. No browning required, though if you have time and would like to brown the meat, go for it.
You will need these ingredients:
- Bottom round beef roast
- Salt and pepper
- Onion powder
- Brown gravy packets
- Water
I use a bottom round beef roast for this recipe, that is my go-to cut of meat lately. It shreds up nice, and has way less fat to pick out before serving as a chuck roast does.
Directions:
- Add the roast to the slow cooker, sprinkle salt, pepper and onion powder on all sides.
- In a small bowl whisk together the water and gravy packets, pour over the roast.
- Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, do not open the lid during the cooking time to ensure a tender roast.
- Remove beef from slow cooker and shred with 2 forks.
- Remove the grease from the gravy. Do this by placing paper towels over the grease. Discard.
How to serve:
- Add shredded meat over white bread or sourdough bread
- Mashed potatoes
- Ladle over gravy over everything
- Corn, green beans or green salad on the side
Slow Cooker Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches
Equipment Needed:
- Slow Cooker – 4 quart or larger
Ingredients:
- 3-4 lb. bottom round beef roast chuck will work fine too
- salt
- pepper
- onion powder
- 1.74 oz. brown gravy mix packets (two .87 oz. packets)
- 1.5 cups water
- Serving Suggestions
- white or sourdough bread
- mashed potatoes
Instructions:
- Place the roast into a 4-quart or larger slow cooker.
- Sprinkle a small amount of salt, pepper and onion powder on to the beef.
- In a small bowl whisk together the gravy packets and water until smooth. Pour that mixture over the roast.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours.
- When the cooking time is done, remove the roast and place on to a plate, shred meat, discard any fat. Cover with foil to keep warm.
- De-grease the gravy in the slow cooker, I either do this by ladling off the grease with a spoon, or I take a paper towel and lay on top of the grease and pull off, the grease will come off on the paper towel, and the gravy will stay in the slow cooker.
- Serve the shredded beef and gravy over bread and with mashed potatoes.
- Enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition:
First Published 02/23/2016
Updated 06/10/2019
See my Chicken Version of this recipe here: Slow Cooker Chicken and Gravy
Been using this recipe for years. It’s an old timer. I usually cook the roast for only 6 hours which makes it better for slicing instead of shredding, which I prefer. The author is correct in saying that the meat will be a bit less tender, but only a bit. That’s why we have teeth .
I live alone and usually cook a 4 lb roast (sometimes a top round, but usually a bottom round). After the first meal, I finish slicing the the roast and return the slices to the gravy. I get 4 more days of meals (in a row) before freezing what little is left. I usually make one of these roasts about once a month because I love the old diner “hot beef sandwiches.” I also make about 3- 4 qts of mashed potatoes, and with a large ice cream scoop, put them on a half sheet pan and freeze them for 2 hours. Then I put the scoops into a freezer bag and back into the freezer for my next meals. Sorry for being long-winded, but other than rare prime rib, this is my very favorite meal and I’ve really tried to perfect this recipe. I use a couple more seasonings, but otherwise, this recipe is perfect!
Forgot to mention that I use 1 gravy packet per pound of meat and use half water and half low sodium beef stock. I have experienced a problem with thickening, but only when using old, really old, gravy packets.
Delicious and a favorite for our family – especially my 4 year old son! We substitute venison and serve on buns for an easy dinner during the week.
Tried this recipe and tasted great! However, my gravy did not thicken. I used about 4 lbs of beef roast and 4 gravy packets. Any suggestions?
Add less water next time. Or do 2 tbsp. cold water and 2 tbsp corn starch (whisked together) and add that to the gravy at the end of cook time.
Could you make this a slow cooker freezer meal?
I bought a top round roast by accident and it is in the crock pot now. I am hoping it will turn out ok and shred for me. We’ll see. It’s been in there six hours.
Ahh…Marie Calanders…now there is a blast from the past! I will certainly try this recipe. Thanks for the bread suggestion. I will check it out.
Has anyone tried this in an Instapot?
Bottom round doesn’t seem like a very good choice for shredding beef.
Bottom round shreds the easiest for me, has no fat between the sheds and falls apart. Yes it won’t shred if you don’t cook it long enough.
I miss my mom’s hot roast beef sammies with leftover roast pieces. This reminded me of that warm memory, thanks. Pinning it.
I have tried thus several times..I actually double the gravy recipe, all in all awesome recipe! My family LOVE it! Quick easy and I can put it on before I leave for work and ready when I get home! The chicken one is fantastic as well…yum!
That’s great Kim! Extra gravy is always great!
Total cook time 8 minutes? Defeats the meaning of a slow cooker. 🙂 You may want to correct the time from 8 minutes to 8 hours. Either way, I am making this Friday for our card game!
fixed! Thank you!
Hi Sarah, thanks for sharing this super easy recipe! I’ve made it several times already and we are never disappointed. I even made it in the RV when we were on a vacation, I barely had to left a finger and we had a fabulous meal on the road, everyone was in heaven with a savory pot roast dinner in the middle of the woods! I skip the bread but always make mashed potatoes and I usually make more gravy than it calls for so we can smother everything in it! I’ve passed it on to many friends too, share the love, right! Thanks again and keep up the creative cooking, we love it.
So great to hear Caroline! We crock pot (or dine out) in the rv only! So easy.
Can you use pork gravy with eye round roast? And could you use beef broth instead of water?
I think the broth may make it too salty and perhaps make your own thicker gravy from scratch after straining the liquid from the crockpot.
I use the 50% less sodium brown gravy mixes. Much better.
This looks and sounds incredible!
xx Kelly
Sparkles and Shoes
How weird is this? I have this meal in the crockpot as I type! Yesterday, I found some bakery sourdough bread and it reminded me of open-faced sandwiches lol. The memories of leftover hot roast beef sandwiches growing up are priceless.
In yesteryear, this meal at diners was called a “commercial.” This was because in business at that time many men personally called on customers. They had to eat lunch – so for a diner’s commercial trade the sandwich was called a ” commercial.”
Boy did this bring make some wonderful childhood memories! This was my favorite meal on those rare occasions when we would go out for dinner. Can’t wait to try this idea!
I love making open faced sandwiches with my leftover roast beef. YUMMMM.
I’m excited to follow your recipe blog. Love both the chicken and beef gravy recipes.
Awesome-ness!
Very good, tender.
I used 2 gravy packets and added a little more water. My husband said it is like what his mom made when he was growing up! Thanks for sharing!